I agree with your opinion that this was (is) a sword of war, meant for the battlefield and meant to oppose armored opponents; the stiffened pointled me to that conclussion at the outset. The functional brutality of this beast does not diminish it's innate beauty, this sword belonged to a knight, replacing both mace and axe.
This is weapon of war and, in my humble opinion, a business card at the same time. It is functional and decorated. Functional, so anybody who knows anything about war can easily spot that. Decorative, so one can walk with it straight into duke's or king's audience chamber. And a business card because it screams "my wielder lives by war and war made him wealthy enough to have that kind of weapon created for him"
Nope. This is replica made in 20th century. Someone made several and sold them for pretty sum to collectors in pre-Internet era- second one surfaced in 2022 on auction and was unsold (asking price was 30 000 pounds) In real life this was civilian weapon, light (less than kilo in weight), short (85 cm) to comply with city regulations and agile. Armour piercing ability is a nice bonus. It works well without additional weight and reinforcements.
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You make your statements here with so much confidence, as if you could actually say how it is. Whatever auctions you are talking about here, it has nothing to do with this blade. It was sold 10 years ago. Also, the use is still controversial, but again, there is a 100% like-it-is statement from you. Honestly, you can believe what you want, I really don't care, perfectly ok. But if you spread statements that you don't know about, that's not cool.
I have always believed as you say in this video. From the first time that I saw these weapons depicted in art. It looks like a weapon designed for War. Its easy for us to look at things from our perspective now, do some quick searches on the web, and generate an endless supply of strong opinions. For myself, if one can hold a thing in the hand, feel the balance, examine the marks of time and usage. There is no substitute, other than to gather the opinions of others that have done so. Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I spend most of my time in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we are missing our snow this year. We have just a bit of powder. I'm jealous.
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Thx mate for your thoughts about it... i hope you will get a blizzard next year to compensate the lack of snow this year :D
That type looks as if it would do much better against mail than a regular sword, not just for thrusting but for striking blows with the inner point. I think a much underrated design.
What I love about it is that the spike directly transitions out off the spine whereas clip points are typically much thinner and have no support from the spine and thus break easily. Plus, the blade looks like something that will disarm no matter if the opponent wears gambesson or mail... Yes, in case of the latter it's no longer literal, but the weapon will fall out of his broken hand regardless...
Getting it appraised & dated would be very interesting. Regardless of how old it is, it is certainly functional and very well made. Commissioning a high quality replica would allow you to explore it further. Thankyou for showing it!
It's very difficult to be sure because there is such a small number of originals, but I think it is probably an aged reproduction. When you compare it to originals in the Invalides (Paris) and the Delft Museum, it looks like extremely heavy (like 50% heavier, which is a lot) and it has a fuller on both sides of the blades - the original have only one on one side, the second side is totally flat. It looks like a weapon inspired by the Paris one, but with a steel pommel and significantly bigger and heavier. That said it looks absolutely gorgeous.
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We will probably never now if its original or not. If there is a lack of provenance in science, or if it is not a direct ground finding, it is simply labeled as false. In this case, the traceability may have been lost during the world wars. As far as I know, the falchions in Paris and Delft weigh around 900 and 1250g. So this falchion here is not much heavier, considering that it is much larger. Nevertheless, I agree with you. It would be one of the heavier ones in terms of construction and dimensions. But falchions have such a wide range of dimensions and weights and we have so few real examples. Personally, I would suspect trends, but not draw any conclusions yet. Thank you for your thoughts, I find this topic incredibly exciting :)
@ You're right. Those "inverted" falchions are probably the most badass looking swords of the late 13th-beginning 14th century. I always imagine them use in some castle sieges, due to their shorter dimensions they must have been quite useful. In my opinion it was an adaptation of the "machet-bladed" falchions to make them compatible against mailed and helmeted knights. The half-swording must have been quite efficient with those!
The problem is that this piece was acquired from an allegedly known peddler of fakes. Finding one in this condition is akin to a philatelist finding a second Bordeaux letter, and similarly unlikely. There should be utmost scrutiny before accepting it as an extant examples of one of the rarest known sword types.
Choppy, pointy-stabby and bashy in form of a single sword? I think you should get one to play around with :D Also I notice just now it really reminds me of Scar's Sword from Gothic 1 and that was my favorurite weapon for one-handed combat...
This was such a neat video. I love these "historic weapons" videos as it gives me new and interesting things to DnD games and drop fun tidbits of info.
I wander if it was a sort of evolution for the maxhiajowski (I know that's spelled wrong) falchion. Looks like a combination chopper against lighter armor, and piercer for heavier stuff. Neat design either way!
I can't say for sure based on a video, but I find it difficult to believe it to be an original. With the (good) condition it is in, and the visible spot rust, it must have been more patined at some point, and consequently a significant amount of material would have had to have been removed to clean it. That a few tens of grams, most of it on the blade, and specifically on the widest section. It would have rendered the balance even more hatched like, and perhaps even pushed the total weight beyond the 1500(g) mark. For a short, non-complex hilted, predominantly one handed sword, that's quite insane. Possible? Yes. Logical? I'm inclined to say no. To be clear, I don't think it's a forgery or otherwise recent reproduction, but I could see it as e.g. a 19th century collector's or museum's order.
This is fascinating! It’s a shame there’s no surviving fighting manuals that talk about this type of sword. Who knows, maybe there’s one sitting on a shelf in a monastery somewhere waiting to be found
So a few quick points 1) that's not bass, the lack of patina suggest it's gold 2) if real, the time frame would mean this of Germanic origins. Your ancestors were the only ones who really tried out a wide variety of weapons designs that look straight out a fantasy novel. 3) the blade design is similar to a halberd and seem to function in a similar manner My guess is some rich Landknecht wanted a shorter halberd for when things got close up and request this design.
My assumption with this style of blade is that rather than being a specialised anti-armour weapon it is more of a dual-purpose weapon. To my knowlege most falchions with a more traditional blade shape were thin and broad-bladed for the purpose of being effective against unarmoured or lightly armoured opponents. The inclusion of a reinforced thrusting point would give the wielder more options when facing an opponent with more armour which would be especially useful in a battlefield setting where you would expect to encounter many opponents with varying amounts and qualities of armour.
Wonderful piece, I've often wondered if it was only in my imagination, or if it was real. Not a lot of sword culture where I am but I've always liked them. Considered a similar, more exaggerated blade for a D&D character in my youth. Looking at this one I see hints of a pollaxe that's easier to carry. Definitely an armor fighting sword. A little guy like you or I could add 15cm or so to the blade, 3 or 4 of that in the thick tip, taper the tip a little more and possibly be able to pierce thinner pieces of plate when halfswording. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
genial Björn! selbst wenn es kein Original aus dem mittelalter ist, ist es trotzdem eine beachtliche Arbeit! ich selbst habe nur mit meinem Krieger historical Falchion Erfahrung.. die umgekehrte Schneide ist etwas sagen wir es mal so : interessant 😅 ich selbst ertappe mich ab und zu dabei wie ich die Waffe einfach umdrehe und dann wieder verkehrt rum halte😅... mich würde mal wirklich interessieren aus welchem Grund damals klingen dieser Art entwickelt worden sind...lg und frohes Julfest aus Solingen!
That armor spiker at the tip of the blade with the extra heavy chop would be amazing with a shield or parry weapon like a warfork so you can use your heavy chops well. Or is it too heavy for 1 hand?
Beautiful sword. One thing I noticed about the tip is it's similarity to a pompi gladius being specifically thicker for opposing and defeating armor. Really cool sword.
I absolutely love the construction of these weapons. The 2 handed variants are also remarkable. Please post another video if you get a reconstruction of this weapons so that we can see how it does in the duel and maybe even some damage testing on cut targets.
First time seeing a video of yours. I think this sword, as a weapon, shows a kind of brutality comparable to the Song Zhan Ma Dao. It is not fancy, and any aesthetic elegance the blade might have is a subproduct of the engineering elegance of it's design, speaking of which it looks like an attempt of combining a halberd and a faussal/beidana
Is it genuine or a fake? Either way it's a very interesting sword. I especially like the reinforced tip. It's like it's made to be an allround sword able to deal with both hard and soft targets.
Definitely feels like it was made for armor with the blunt-force outside, and it looks to me as if it would even penetrate thinner, unhardened steel plate with the point. I wonder if that was the armor that at least a good proportion of the men-at-arms would wear.
I believe that sword is real and that it has pierced the chain mail of knights. It is an amazing design and i want one! Also, i am disappointed that it took youtube so long to suggest your videos to me. This is your first video i have watched, and am very pleased!
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screw the algorithem...now we are connected :) enjoy and thx for the kind words!
It looks like a very nice sword but unless it has well known verifiable provenance that goes back a long way and has been authenticated by an expert at some point during that time, I am deeply skeptical of the idea that it's an original. 99% of the supposed medieval swords on the market are fake, unfortunately, and the preservation is quite literally too good to be true.
the preservation is NOT too good to be true, but it is enough to throw skepticism into the mix. the sword of goujian, for example, is almost perfectly preserved, and the blade itself is in pristine condition. this sword is unlikely to be a legitimate 14th century weapon, but details like the rotting handle underneath the leather (that is also in very poor condition) lend credence to the fact that this blade is one of three options: an incredibly well preserved authentic piece, a recreation that is easily over 100 years old, or an incredibly well done modern fake, which is incredibly difficult to pull off as the handle would have to have been either made to perfectly look like it had been rotting for over a century, or been manually rotted with extreme precision. i think it's most likely to be a pre-modern recreation, and not actually authentic, but a recreation from the 1700s or 1800s is still a very valuable find.
@@ghosthero0806 I think we agree. What I mean is "too good to be true IF there is no well established provenance". Swords with this level of preservations of this age must have been well taken care of or at least stored in rather specific conditions that counteracted decay for centuries. That tends to imply a traceable history as well. Of course, it is _possible_ that this sword is an exception to that rule, but given the number of well made fakes it is just highly unlikely (or it could also have reliable provenance; it just isn't mentioned in the video). Either way it is a beautiful piece and a very cool sword that seems very well made. (Incidentally, the sword of Goujian is a bronze piece, which is very different from steel in terms of resistance to corrosion and tarnish - although it is remarkably well preserved even by that standard.)
IIRC Schola Gladiatoria made a video about mid 19th century replicas of handguns from late 16th - early 17th century. But still - "the blade itself" evokes an image of wealthy mercenary, trying to show off both his war skills and his wealth in one item.
Very nice blade. Perhaps forging one would be ideal as well. I like your sword collection as well. I really like the Grosse messer out of all the messer types. Thanks for sharing 😁👍
The LUCK AND TRUST you have lol. "The blade designs of falchions varied widely across the continent and over time. They almost always included a single edge with a slight curve on the blade towards the point on the end and most were also affixed with a quilloned crossguard for the hilt in the manner of the contemporary arming swords. Unlike the double-edged swords of Europe, few actual swords of this type have survived to the present day; fewer than a dozen specimens are currently known.[1]" Wiki says less than a dozen of these survived in the world today. And you got to review one in excellent shape. And you did it justice!
Such a blade could only be re-made in modern, practical terms by forging. CNC stock removal would not work with that thick tip. Maybe a combination, but needless to say, I don't think we'll be seeing any high quality reproductions of such a blade and tip at a reasonable price for a while. Maybe Tod from Tod's workshop. Seems like something he could figure out how to make affordable.
I would be very interested in seeing test cutting with such a blade. Falchions always struck me as being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife. A broad, single edge blade like that one gives one the ability to put an extremely fine cutting edge on it. This would be great if you were hewing down unarmored peasants but rather useless against armor. At the same time the weight in the blade (using the blunt spine to strike a helmet as you mentioned) and the point which is clearly reinforced for fighting against maile would indicate a completely different purpose. I wonder if these types of falchions were perhaps an attempt at making a single weapon that could fight against both armored an unarmored opponents with equal proficiency. This would give a man the ability to fight in any situation without having to switch to (or even carry) a different weapon.
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I guess its very effective against both...mh the more i think about it the more a second falchion vid could make sense^^
I have a defy for you. Fighting with a weapon that is a billhook on below.then the long handle till chest or shoulder, followed by a wusu lance red hairs. After that, comes an axe head, part axe at front, part hammer behind(with spikes and a central big warhammer/crowbleak spike, surrounded by lesser spikes. At top of the haft, cones a lance head. Edge has 3parts first as flamberge, secibd at saw,third as normal. Flat walls of axe and hammer part are full of sone long spikes ,and edges in "sharkback"stile. And cilinder that joins axe and hammer is full of a libe of some long spikes (for tearing horses as they cross by your side) Borders/corners of hammer part has horizontal flat saw going out from it . Abd in spaces between edges on last part of walls of hammer ,goes a L shaped 2or3 spikes pointing large to out of the hammer hitting side Spear/lance top haft head is 4sides crossed. has edge in saw shape at first, in flamberge shape at second, in sharck back like at third, and normal at fourth. Curves up and down of the axe part has diameter of a wide nack, (for trapping people and moving it, or broke his neck),but full of spikes (conic or flat triangled). The axe-hammer head, where joins to haft and below wusu lance red hairs, goes twisted (or by "click" mechanism,)into a gap on haft,enough deep for the twisting marksAND space extra for hiding a some long chain. When you free the chain, the weapon turns into a two handed flail, the axe-hammer spiked, being the head. In adittion, the billhook has a kind of crossguard in SAI shape (like oriental weapon) useful for disarmings and spiking has too a click mechanism too into the haft. By complete one twist, At freeing it, reveals it is the real pommel of a dagger hided into. If you twist the pommel only half twist, a resort mechanism do jump edges (triangled or like shark backs) along the handle (3lines along or 4). This acts a security system in case someone in battle achieve hold your weapon haft hurting his hand.(or even the weapon is taken without letting. Little holes in flat sides of axe and hammer holds flammable oil. And even you can connect an internal wire from haft to metal head for electrifying it, doing fire and electric damage at time. And several very little rounded empties in 4 sides of spear head , holds a venom paste, poisoning the spearhead. Too the spearhead can be twisted out abd frees a very thin chain hiden on cilinder between axehead and hammer, and you have a "chain and spear" shaolin weapon
In my opinion it’s either an aged fake or an original that has been cleaned/restored at some point whether by a museum or a private collector but I’d tend to lean more towards it being a reproduction because based on the close up shots you did the lines just look way too crisp for it to be a historical piece I’d date it no earlier than the Victorian period it’s just too nice to be authentic in my opinion, it looks very similar to some similar swords made by In’Carius Craft out of Poland.
Its been cleand and polished after it was rusted, id say its a fake, its recently made. The blade is a good copy but the mate between the guard looks off. He should etch part of the blade to see if its bloom steel of the time..
Schöne Waffe und super Video, wie üblich! But: Very odd! In his videos Matt Easton often highlighted how falchions are not anti-armour, axe-like swords but instead thin, agile cutters to be used against unarmoured opponents. But this one is exactly the what he goes against. Maybe there were very different forms under the umbrella term of what we would call a Falchion. It would be interesting to have quantitative data on a large sample of falchions and their weight/thickness/point of balance.
very nice. if you have a complex hit attached you dont need the blade to be able to bind. in later centurys germans had some nice complex hits. (i actually build a sword catching hilt onto my bastard sword based off 17th cent germanic handle, the blades like 5th century saxon blade lol) also the cutout section at the head, can probably be used to bind or at least control enemys blade kuje the spikes 2/3 way down a Zwei hander. with the cutting edge angled inwards it is probably 1 of few 1 handed swords that could cut a horse leg at the knee also. (having it angled inwards like a flax means oncoming force pulls blade in rather then pushing it away) very nice sword although most ppl call me chosen wep a orc sword, it weighs 2020g for 68cm long blade 27cm long handle 6.5cm wide at base 5.5cm wide before tip taper. i dont care if someone has a helmet on or bracers its still cracking bones underneath, it dose make it hard to reenact with it mind you because i have to pull every blow lest i injure someone, but in a real fight it would be much faster & unblockable without a 2 hand block(i once accidently split mates head open with it drunk sparing through a 2 handed over head block just bent his longsword till it cracked into his forhead, i didnt pull it fast enough because i was drunk)
Seems to have a very stiff trusting point with an additional cleaver blade, the best of two worlds but possibly with additional weight. It is the reversed falchion not only in shape but actually in its properties.
I think its more simple, its an effective chopping tool, this would be used to counter spear formations/ spear tactics as it could cleave through spear shafts, its chop would only be effective against unarmored foes and is otherwise a major drawback unless used in a specific way. The main killing function seams to be in its powerful looking thrust through chainmail or gambeson. But maybe im wrong and grasping at straws : D
Very interesting! It would be intriguing to find out it's history. I especially appreciate the insights on how such a blade would have been used. I enjoyed this and look forward to more such videos! Thank you.
I don't even want to imagine how deep such blade can go on the common soldier back then who would be lucky to have a gambeson, but the pointy edge was interesting. Just made to stab, not even sharp. Thanks a lot man, there is just so much we still don't know of these times and it's good to see someone sharing something.
In England during a Peasant uprising Watt Tyler and his leading men agreed to meet the king outside of London ... If i remember correct this was a ploy to capture Watt Tyler and his fellow leaders of the Peasants revolt. It ended badly for Tylers group ... the mayor of the City of London decapitated One of Tylers group with his Falchon 😬 They were developed as hunting weapons for despatching and butchering large game as well as cutting wood like a Machete today but also proved a very effective peacetime weapons for dealing with brawling mobs in close quarters fighting.
@@thiagorodrigues5211 Ive seen many different types of Falchion they seem to have evolved with their owners desired use. Last collection i was looking at was on the walls of Warwick castle .. but that was some time ago. You can easily imagine a single edged weapon being adapted to Combat rather than a hunting tool/weapon. Especially if you new you were likely having to deal with opponents wearing elements of mail or plate protection for a yeoman bowman it would be a good side arm and the ability to cut both ways would give you an advantage as well as helping penetrate on a thrust into a unprotected gap or as you pointed out to split a weaker mail link. 🤔
Seems counter intuitive for the concave side to be the sharp one !? Did I miss understand that? The "rounded " side would slice FAR better wouldn't it ?
What many people miss is that the blade may look hefty but is very thin and sharp while the spine has to be thick to give rigidity to the point. Don't think of it as an axe or a chopper that can stab but rather of an estoc that can slice.
Well I was with you when you said only one edge was sharp as I had heard that about this type of sword. Alas, before i start thinking I’m smart or something, I also thought the sharp edge was the longer one. Is that common for these swords? And yes please, would love to see sparing with modern replica.
I completely agree, this sword was made for war , I can appreciate how you noticed design details such as the way the spike point takes on a thicker diamond shaped cross section similar to the last six inches of an indo Persian dagger well known for being used to pick through the chain mael . The edge to the inside of the blades curve having the enhanced cutting effect of a kukri or a falcata and leading the edge a shart corner similar to the yokote of a Japanese blade . I am left with the inescapable conclusion that the men well versed in the use of this sword....were playing for keeps
Is that that old specimen from fricker? :D Gotta love these reverse edge falchions. Own a repro i wanted to have based on metriculous measurements i got from a nice person who measured an original. Might very well be this one. The thickening of the spike was something i especially wanted and didnt get. ....yeah ok, i think its this one. :) Craftsmen fucked up and i got a "vanilla" one.
Very good design. To add to what you said about the back edge being good for hitting things like helms you also have the option to save your sharp edge when in contact with another blade by weilding it that way as that point would still do damage when swung into a target. The sharp edge could be flipped around to deliver the killing blow.
As a complete layman, it is without a doubt quite intimidating. Perhaps I romanticize swords too much for their elegance and I imagine, the code of honour, of those who wore them. When I look at this sword, the prevailing feeling is definitely one of fear. Certainly adoration as well, for it's apparent exceptional quality and frightening beauty. I try to imagine what it must have been like to have an Olympic athlete, who was trained in the arts of war his whole life, wield this against me with the specific purpose to overcome any, or most, advantages my armor would have provided me. The intention of this sword is almost overwhelming and I imagine it gave the wielder a significant advantage in battle. Not only only due to it's rarity, but the simple fact that even one who has never held a sword can see that this was made to overcome any who stood against it. The fact that it has survived for so long also gives you that impression that the custodians of this sword saw something in it as well. In any case, thank you very much for sharing it with us! I've just found your channel and I very much look forward to seeing more. Ps. Many years ago, I once saw a German executioner's sword with an engraving on both sides: ''Die herren steuern dem unheil ich exequiere ihr endts urteil. Wan ich das schwert thue aufheben wünsch ich dem sünder das ewig leben.'' I always liked that last part. Much love!
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thx for your comment... do you have a link to the executioner sword?
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.82[1/2] แก๊ง 3 สาวเพื่อนซี้บุก CAMPปลิ้นครั้งนี้ห้ามเสียอาการ](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/_6WUjXHe1TM/mqdefault.jpg)
Don't you ever dare to lose your german accent, Björn. Best wishes.
haha... xD
As the great German of all existence (Jörg Sprave) once said: "let's show its features, muahahah".
🏳️🌈?
@@PoneyChad ??
@@hidayakamo Jörg is a living legend.
Great Video. It was very informative. Thank you for sharing. :-) Peace, Stiletto :-)
Interesting sword. Great pantaloons 🙏👋
haha....totally inappropriate but comfortable
Highly specialised anti-armor "sword".
Was ist denn das für weißes Zeug? Auf dem Boden? Das wird in den Manuskripten nicht erwähnt :P Und ja, das Falchion ist auch ganz nett)
I enjoy your exploration on unusual blades, especially from someone with such clear genuine skills.
Thank you...I like to hear that from you. You have already given me many entertaining moments :)
I agree with your opinion that this was (is) a sword of war, meant for the battlefield and meant to oppose armored opponents; the stiffened pointled me to that conclussion at the outset. The functional brutality of this beast does not diminish it's innate beauty, this sword belonged to a knight, replacing both mace and axe.
A gorgeous weapon and a beautiful setting. Thank you Bjorn!
This is weapon of war and, in my humble opinion, a business card at the same time.
It is functional and decorated. Functional, so anybody who knows anything about war can easily spot that. Decorative, so one can walk with it straight into duke's or king's audience chamber. And a business card because it screams "my wielder lives by war and war made him wealthy enough to have that kind of weapon created for him"
Nope. This is replica made in 20th century. Someone made several and sold them for pretty sum to collectors in pre-Internet era- second one surfaced in 2022 on auction and was unsold (asking price was 30 000 pounds)
In real life this was civilian weapon, light (less than kilo in weight), short (85 cm) to comply with city regulations and agile. Armour piercing ability is a nice bonus. It works well without additional weight and reinforcements.
You make your statements here with so much confidence, as if you could actually say how it is. Whatever auctions you are talking about here, it has nothing to do with this blade. It was sold 10 years ago. Also, the use is still controversial, but again, there is a 100% like-it-is statement from you. Honestly, you can believe what you want, I really don't care, perfectly ok. But if you spread statements that you don't know about, that's not cool.
@sasasasa-lx6cl You don’t need 1 metre long weapon once you are stuck in melee.
Reinforcements? What are you even referring to?
@BjornRuther I wonder why it was my comment that had triggered this person to reaction.
Anyway - a happy New Year to you, May your channel grow!
@@PobortzaPl not only here :) Likewise my friend... have a nice time!
I have always believed as you say in this video. From the first time that I saw these weapons depicted in art. It looks like a weapon designed for War.
Its easy for us to look at things from our perspective now, do some quick searches on the web, and generate an endless supply of strong opinions. For myself, if one can hold a thing in the hand, feel the balance, examine the marks of time and usage. There is no substitute, other than to gather the opinions of others that have done so. Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I spend most of my time in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and we are missing our snow this year. We have just a bit of powder. I'm jealous.
Thx mate for your thoughts about it... i hope you will get a blizzard next year to compensate the lack of snow this year :D
It looks brutally efficient. Definitely something a Klingon or an orc would be happy to wield in battle. What a gorgeous weapon!
That type looks as if it would do much better against mail than a regular sword, not just for thrusting but for striking blows with the inner point. I think a much underrated design.
That is exactly what it was designed for. These were only used during the chain mail era. Once plate came around these swords fell out of use.
What I love about it is that the spike directly transitions out off the spine whereas clip points are typically much thinner and have no support from the spine and thus break easily.
Plus, the blade looks like something that will disarm no matter if the opponent wears gambesson or mail... Yes, in case of the latter it's no longer literal, but the weapon will fall out of his broken hand regardless...
indeed, the point is awesome :D
Falchions and Messers are fascinating. Interesting to see that one be much meatier.
Getting it appraised & dated would be very interesting.
Regardless of how old it is, it is certainly functional and very well made.
Commissioning a high quality replica would allow you to explore it further.
Thankyou for showing it!
I will see if i can get a good replica :)
Yes, this type of historic weapon review is quite interesting. Many thanks for taking the time to create and share this video!
thx mate
It's very difficult to be sure because there is such a small number of originals, but I think it is probably an aged reproduction. When you compare it to originals in the Invalides (Paris) and the Delft Museum, it looks like extremely heavy (like 50% heavier, which is a lot) and it has a fuller on both sides of the blades - the original have only one on one side, the second side is totally flat. It looks like a weapon inspired by the Paris one, but with a steel pommel and significantly bigger and heavier.
That said it looks absolutely gorgeous.
We will probably never now if its original or not. If there is a lack of provenance in science, or if it is not a direct ground finding, it is simply labeled as false. In this case, the traceability may have been lost during the world wars. As far as I know, the falchions in Paris and Delft weigh around 900 and 1250g. So this falchion here is not much heavier, considering that it is much larger. Nevertheless, I agree with you. It would be one of the heavier ones in terms of construction and dimensions. But falchions have such a wide range of dimensions and weights and we have so few real examples. Personally, I would suspect trends, but not draw any conclusions yet. Thank you for your thoughts, I find this topic incredibly exciting :)
@ You're right. Those "inverted" falchions are probably the most badass looking swords of the late 13th-beginning 14th century. I always imagine them use in some castle sieges, due to their shorter dimensions they must have been quite useful. In my opinion it was an adaptation of the "machet-bladed" falchions to make them compatible against mailed and helmeted knights. The half-swording must have been quite efficient with those!
The problem is that this piece was acquired from an allegedly known peddler of fakes. Finding one in this condition is akin to a philatelist finding a second Bordeaux letter, and similarly unlikely. There should be utmost scrutiny before accepting it as an extant examples of one of the rarest known sword types.
Choppy, pointy-stabby and bashy in form of a single sword?
I think you should get one to play around with :D
Also I notice just now it really reminds me of Scar's Sword from Gothic 1 and that was my favorurite weapon for one-handed combat...
The mere fact it is in such good condition means, to me, that it wasn't used very much. Lovely example. Thanks for the vid.
This man's love for swords warms him enough to keep him warm outside in winter
This was such a neat video. I love these "historic weapons" videos as it gives me new and interesting things to DnD games and drop fun tidbits of info.
Almost reminiscent of a kopesh. In function anyway. Somewhat sword/axe hybrid like.
I wander if it was a sort of evolution for the maxhiajowski (I know that's spelled wrong) falchion. Looks like a combination chopper against lighter armor, and piercer for heavier stuff. Neat design either way!
I can't say for sure based on a video, but I find it difficult to believe it to be an original. With the (good) condition it is in, and the visible spot rust, it must have been more patined at some point, and consequently a significant amount of material would have had to have been removed to clean it. That a few tens of grams, most of it on the blade, and specifically on the widest section. It would have rendered the balance even more hatched like, and perhaps even pushed the total weight beyond the 1500(g) mark. For a short, non-complex hilted, predominantly one handed sword, that's quite insane. Possible? Yes. Logical? I'm inclined to say no. To be clear, I don't think it's a forgery or otherwise recent reproduction, but I could see it as e.g. a 19th century collector's or museum's order.
I'd love to see you team up with Tod Cutler on a recreation and testing of this.
This is fascinating! It’s a shame there’s no surviving fighting manuals that talk about this type of sword. Who knows, maybe there’s one sitting on a shelf in a monastery somewhere waiting to be found
maybe we can discover something, someday :)
The weirdest thing IMHO is the weight. It looks like it should but ultimately is heavier than most of falchions by a mile.
Very, interesting piece :)
The Paris one is 900g and the one in Delft 1200-1300g. And this one got bigger dimensions...but yeah...still heavier :)
So a few quick points
1) that's not bass, the lack of patina suggest it's gold
2) if real, the time frame would mean this of Germanic origins. Your ancestors were the only ones who really tried out a wide variety of weapons designs that look straight out a fantasy novel.
3) the blade design is similar to a halberd and seem to function in a similar manner
My guess is some rich Landknecht wanted a shorter halberd for when things got close up and request this design.
A guy who got wealthy through war created a sort of practical business card for himself - that's also my take on this weapon.
My assumption with this style of blade is that rather than being a specialised anti-armour weapon it is more of a dual-purpose weapon. To my knowlege most falchions with a more traditional blade shape were thin and broad-bladed for the purpose of being effective against unarmoured or lightly armoured opponents. The inclusion of a reinforced thrusting point would give the wielder more options when facing an opponent with more armour which would be especially useful in a battlefield setting where you would expect to encounter many opponents with varying amounts and qualities of armour.
Would be nice to know how blade thickness changes from guard to tip.
this has more red flags than a parade in Pyonyang.
Treat it with an exceptionally high degree of scepticism.
Эффективно:Фактор Проникаемости жала в бронь как у кинжала и плюмбаты..
Wonderful piece, I've often wondered if it was only in my imagination, or if it was real. Not a lot of sword culture where I am but I've always liked them. Considered a similar, more exaggerated blade for a D&D character in my youth. Looking at this one I see hints of a pollaxe that's easier to carry. Definitely an armor fighting sword. A little guy like you or I could add 15cm or so to the blade, 3 or 4 of that in the thick tip, taper the tip a little more and possibly be able to pierce thinner pieces of plate when halfswording.
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
IF this is real it is VERY rare. I think there are fewer than five type two verified originals.
This is the first video of yours I have seen but this is definetly my kind of content. Liked and subscribed!
I have see this type before and was very intrigued ! Hopefully someone will produce a contemporary vision
Wish i could have such a fine piece in my collection, am well jealous of you Bjorn. Am hoping that modern examples become available.
Beautiful weapon. I agree with the functionality you surmise.
I'd be curious to see a reproduction being used.
Beautiful! I would love a modern version of that sword!
these Elmslie type 2a blade are my favorite 😄
genial Björn! selbst wenn es kein Original aus dem mittelalter ist, ist es trotzdem eine beachtliche Arbeit! ich selbst habe nur mit meinem Krieger historical Falchion Erfahrung.. die umgekehrte Schneide ist etwas sagen wir es mal so : interessant 😅 ich selbst ertappe mich ab und zu dabei wie ich die Waffe einfach umdrehe und dann wieder verkehrt rum halte😅... mich würde mal wirklich interessieren aus welchem Grund damals klingen dieser Art entwickelt worden sind...lg und frohes Julfest aus Solingen!
The 'rust spots' as you call them are called 'pitting''. Sorry to keep correcting you pal ; )
All right, I'll keep that in mind next time ;)
@ Hahaha you know I've got to pull you up on these things! Very interesting battlefield weapon and quality video-as always✊🏻
Excellent video on a fantastic weapon!!
This thing is right out of Battle Brothers!
That armor spiker at the tip of the blade with the extra heavy chop would be amazing with a shield or parry weapon like a warfork so you can use your heavy chops well. Or is it too heavy for 1 hand?
Beautiful sword. One thing I noticed about the tip is it's similarity to a pompi gladius being specifically thicker for opposing and defeating armor.
Really cool sword.
I absolutely love the construction of these weapons. The 2 handed variants are also remarkable. Please post another video if you get a reconstruction of this weapons so that we can see how it does in the duel and maybe even some damage testing on cut targets.
I will... :)
First time seeing a video of yours. I think this sword, as a weapon, shows a kind of brutality comparable to the Song Zhan Ma Dao. It is not fancy, and any aesthetic elegance the blade might have is a subproduct of the engineering elegance of it's design, speaking of which it looks like an attempt of combining a halberd and a faussal/beidana
Is it genuine or a fake? Either way it's a very interesting sword. I especially like the reinforced tip. It's like it's made to be an allround sword able to deal with both hard and soft targets.
That is a gnarly, yet beautiful sword! I love the look of those rust spots. Even though that would be undesirable i reckon.
Could you please do a comparison and contrast between this reverse falchion and a normal Falchion of the similar design.
Definitely feels like it was made for armor with the blunt-force outside, and it looks to me as if it would even penetrate thinner, unhardened steel plate with the point. I wonder if that was the armor that at least a good proportion of the men-at-arms would wear.
I believe that sword is real and that it has pierced the chain mail of knights. It is an amazing design and i want one!
Also, i am disappointed that it took youtube so long to suggest your videos to me. This is your first video i have watched, and am very pleased!
screw the algorithem...now we are connected :) enjoy and thx for the kind words!
That is ridiculously neat! Thankyou for sharing this.
It looks like a very nice sword but unless it has well known verifiable provenance that goes back a long way and has been authenticated by an expert at some point during that time, I am deeply skeptical of the idea that it's an original. 99% of the supposed medieval swords on the market are fake, unfortunately, and the preservation is quite literally too good to be true.
the preservation is NOT too good to be true, but it is enough to throw skepticism into the mix. the sword of goujian, for example, is almost perfectly preserved, and the blade itself is in pristine condition. this sword is unlikely to be a legitimate 14th century weapon, but details like the rotting handle underneath the leather (that is also in very poor condition) lend credence to the fact that this blade is one of three options: an incredibly well preserved authentic piece, a recreation that is easily over 100 years old, or an incredibly well done modern fake, which is incredibly difficult to pull off as the handle would have to have been either made to perfectly look like it had been rotting for over a century, or been manually rotted with extreme precision. i think it's most likely to be a pre-modern recreation, and not actually authentic, but a recreation from the 1700s or 1800s is still a very valuable find.
@@ghosthero0806 I think we agree. What I mean is "too good to be true IF there is no well established provenance". Swords with this level of preservations of this age must have been well taken care of or at least stored in rather specific conditions that counteracted decay for centuries. That tends to imply a traceable history as well.
Of course, it is _possible_ that this sword is an exception to that rule, but given the number of well made fakes it is just highly unlikely (or it could also have reliable provenance; it just isn't mentioned in the video).
Either way it is a beautiful piece and a very cool sword that seems very well made.
(Incidentally, the sword of Goujian is a bronze piece, which is very different from steel in terms of resistance to corrosion and tarnish - although it is remarkably well preserved even by that standard.)
IIRC Schola Gladiatoria made a video about mid 19th century replicas of handguns from late 16th - early 17th century.
But still - "the blade itself" evokes an image of wealthy mercenary, trying to show off both his war skills and his wealth in one item.
Very nice blade. Perhaps forging one would be ideal as well. I like your sword collection as well.
I really like the Grosse messer out of all the messer types. Thanks for sharing 😁👍
thats what I call an Anti clip point
The LUCK AND TRUST you have lol.
"The blade designs of falchions varied widely across the continent and over time. They almost always included a single edge with a slight curve on the blade towards the point on the end and most were also affixed with a quilloned crossguard for the hilt in the manner of the contemporary arming swords. Unlike the double-edged swords of Europe, few actual swords of this type have survived to the present day; fewer than a dozen specimens are currently known.[1]"
Wiki says less than a dozen of these survived in the world today. And you got to review one in excellent shape. And you did it justice!
Such a blade could only be re-made in modern, practical terms by forging. CNC stock removal would not work with that thick tip. Maybe a combination, but needless to say, I don't think we'll be seeing any high quality reproductions of such a blade and tip at a reasonable price for a while. Maybe Tod from Tod's workshop. Seems like something he could figure out how to make affordable.
The blade is literally constructed for cut and stab.
Indeed :)
Nice review.
Very neat! I've never seen a falchion with that shape
That's a beautiful piece! I'd love to know its history.
I would be very interested in seeing test cutting with such a blade. Falchions always struck me as being somewhat of a Swiss Army knife. A broad, single edge blade like that one gives one the ability to put an extremely fine cutting edge on it. This would be great if you were hewing down unarmored peasants but rather useless against armor. At the same time the weight in the blade (using the blunt spine to strike a helmet as you mentioned) and the point which is clearly reinforced for fighting against maile would indicate a completely different purpose.
I wonder if these types of falchions were perhaps an attempt at making a single weapon that could fight against both armored an unarmored opponents with equal proficiency. This would give a man the ability to fight in any situation without having to switch to (or even carry) a different weapon.
I guess its very effective against both...mh the more i think about it the more a second falchion vid could make sense^^
@ I'd watch it!
I have a defy for you.
Fighting with a weapon that is a billhook on below.then the long handle till chest or shoulder, followed by a wusu lance red hairs. After that, comes an axe head, part axe at front, part hammer behind(with spikes and a central big warhammer/crowbleak spike, surrounded by lesser spikes.
At top of the haft, cones a lance head.
Edge has 3parts first as flamberge, secibd at saw,third as normal.
Flat walls of axe and hammer part are full of sone long spikes ,and edges in "sharkback"stile.
And cilinder that joins axe and hammer is full of a libe of some long spikes (for tearing horses as they cross by your side)
Borders/corners of hammer part has horizontal flat saw going out from it . Abd in spaces between edges on last part of walls of hammer ,goes a L shaped 2or3 spikes pointing large to out of the hammer hitting side
Spear/lance top haft head is 4sides crossed. has edge in saw shape at first, in flamberge shape at second, in sharck back like at third, and normal at fourth.
Curves up and down of the axe part has diameter of a wide nack, (for trapping people and moving it, or broke his neck),but full of spikes (conic or flat triangled).
The axe-hammer head, where joins to haft and below wusu lance red hairs, goes twisted (or by "click" mechanism,)into a gap on haft,enough deep for the twisting marksAND space extra for hiding a some long chain. When you free the chain, the weapon turns into a two handed flail, the axe-hammer spiked, being the head.
In adittion, the billhook has a kind of crossguard in SAI shape (like oriental weapon) useful for disarmings and spiking
has too a click mechanism too into the haft.
By complete one twist, At freeing it, reveals it is the real pommel of a dagger hided into. If you twist the pommel only half twist, a resort mechanism do jump edges (triangled or like shark backs) along the handle (3lines along or 4). This acts a security system in case someone in battle achieve hold your weapon haft hurting his hand.(or even the weapon is taken without letting.
Little holes in flat sides of axe and hammer holds flammable oil.
And even you can connect an internal wire from haft to metal head for electrifying it, doing fire and electric damage at time.
And several very little rounded empties in 4 sides of spear head , holds a venom paste, poisoning the spearhead.
Too the spearhead can be twisted out abd frees a very thin chain hiden on cilinder between axehead and hammer, and you have a "chain and spear" shaolin weapon
Thank you for the review of a historical weapon.
In my opinion it’s either an aged fake or an original that has been cleaned/restored at some point whether by a museum or a private collector but I’d tend to lean more towards it being a reproduction because based on the close up shots you did the lines just look way too crisp for it to be a historical piece I’d date it no earlier than the Victorian period it’s just too nice to be authentic in my opinion, it looks very similar to some similar swords made by In’Carius Craft out of Poland.
Its been cleand and polished after it was rusted, id say its a fake, its recently made.
The blade is a good copy but the mate between the guard looks off.
He should etch part of the blade to see if its bloom steel of the time..
Schöne Waffe und super Video, wie üblich! But: Very odd! In his videos Matt Easton often highlighted how falchions are not anti-armour, axe-like swords but instead thin, agile cutters to be used against unarmoured opponents. But this one is exactly the what he goes against. Maybe there were very different forms under the umbrella term of what we would call a Falchion. It would be interesting to have quantitative data on a large sample of falchions and their weight/thickness/point of balance.
very nice. if you have a complex hit attached you dont need the blade to be able to bind. in later centurys germans had some nice complex hits. (i actually build a sword catching hilt onto my bastard sword based off 17th cent germanic handle, the blades like 5th century saxon blade lol)
also the cutout section at the head, can probably be used to bind or at least control enemys blade kuje the spikes 2/3 way down a Zwei hander.
with the cutting edge angled inwards it is probably 1 of few 1 handed swords that could cut a horse leg at the knee also. (having it angled inwards like a flax means oncoming force pulls blade in rather then pushing it away)
very nice sword
although most ppl call me chosen wep a orc sword, it weighs 2020g for 68cm long blade 27cm long handle 6.5cm wide at base 5.5cm wide before tip taper.
i dont care if someone has a helmet on or bracers its still cracking bones underneath, it dose make it hard to reenact with it mind you because i have to pull every blow lest i injure someone,
but in a real fight it would be much faster & unblockable without a 2 hand block(i once accidently split mates head open with it drunk sparing through a 2 handed over head block just bent his longsword till it cracked into his forhead, i didnt pull it fast enough because i was drunk)
Seems to have a very stiff trusting point with an additional cleaver blade, the best of two worlds but possibly with additional weight.
It is the reversed falchion not only in shape but actually in its properties.
I think its more simple, its an effective chopping tool, this would be used to counter spear formations/ spear tactics as it could cleave through spear shafts, its chop would only be effective against unarmored foes and is otherwise a major drawback unless used in a specific way. The main killing function seams to be in its powerful looking thrust through chainmail or gambeson. But maybe im wrong and grasping at straws : D
Very interesting! It would be intriguing to find out it's history. I especially appreciate the insights on how such a blade would have been used. I enjoyed this and look forward to more such videos! Thank you.
Mi thinking is about why was so popular in XIV century, but then dissappear. Better weapons?
What an exciting design! Thanks for sharing!
I don't even want to imagine how deep such blade can go on the common soldier back then who would be lucky to have a gambeson, but the pointy edge was interesting. Just made to stab, not even sharp.
Thanks a lot man, there is just so much we still don't know of these times and it's good to see someone sharing something.
In England during a Peasant uprising Watt Tyler and his leading men agreed to meet the king outside of London ...
If i remember correct this was a ploy to capture Watt Tyler and his fellow leaders of the Peasants revolt.
It ended badly for Tylers group ... the mayor of the City of London decapitated
One of Tylers group with his Falchon 😬
They were developed as hunting weapons for despatching and butchering large game
as well as cutting wood like a Machete today but also proved a very effective peacetime weapons for dealing with brawling mobs in close quarters fighting.
@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 Yeah but this falchion has a blade on the opposite side. Like a Falx
@@thiagorodrigues5211
Ive seen many different types of Falchion they seem to have evolved with their owners desired use. Last collection i was looking at was on the walls of Warwick castle .. but that was some time ago.
You can easily imagine a single edged weapon being adapted to
Combat rather than a hunting tool/weapon. Especially if you new you were likely having to deal with opponents wearing elements of mail or plate protection for a yeoman bowman it would be a good side arm and the ability to cut both ways would give you an advantage as well as helping penetrate on a thrust into a unprotected gap or as you pointed out to split a weaker mail link. 🤔
The blade seems innovative and multipurpose, I think it is now my second favourite sword after the hand and a half sword.
Seems counter intuitive for the concave side to be the sharp one !? Did I miss understand that? The "rounded " side would slice FAR better wouldn't it ?
What many people miss is that the blade may look hefty but is very thin and sharp while the spine has to be thick to give rigidity to the point. Don't think of it as an axe or a chopper that can stab but rather of an estoc that can slice.
Question, would you use this shape of falchion the same way Buhurt fighters use thier falchion?
Well I was with you when you said only one edge was sharp as I had heard that about this type of sword. Alas, before i start thinking I’m smart or something, I also thought the sharp edge was the longer one. Is that common for these swords?
And yes please, would love to see sparing with modern replica.
Great review. This is definitely a useful tool for opening armor.
I completely agree, this sword was made for war , I can appreciate how you noticed design details such as the way the spike point takes on a thicker diamond shaped cross section similar to the last six inches of an indo Persian dagger well known for being used to pick through the chain mael . The edge to the inside of the blades curve having the enhanced cutting effect of a kukri or a falcata and leading the edge a shart corner similar to the yokote of a Japanese blade . I am left with the inescapable conclusion that the men well versed in the use of this sword....were playing for keeps
Amazing weapon, would be really cool to have it made for sparring and test it out.
definitely...let's see where I can get a replica made :)
Nice looking sword 👍 I have the Aruval Longsword.
Is that that old specimen from fricker? :D
Gotta love these reverse edge falchions. Own a repro i wanted to have based on metriculous measurements i got from a nice person who measured an original. Might very well be this one. The thickening of the spike was something i especially wanted and didnt get.
....yeah ok, i think its this one. :)
Craftsmen fucked up and i got a "vanilla" one.
got pictures from the replic? :)
Very good design. To add to what you said about the back edge being good for hitting things like helms you also have the option to save your sharp edge when in contact with another blade by weilding it that way as that point would still do damage when swung into a target. The sharp edge could be flipped around to deliver the killing blow.
Armor piercing tips on swords will always be cool
Any chance it was intended primarily as a bludgeon.
I love your anti armor theories. It does look like a can opener after all.
Very cool sword. Very cool. Thank you very much for sharing that beauty. Cheers!
Reminds me of the sakobato the reverse edge katana from ruroni kenshin
More like “dork sword”! Am I right? :D. High five.
Whoever designed this sword had little love for humans
Made to specifically to cut mail perhaps,?
Must have been great to handle such a rare piece of history 💪🏻
Так и хочется сказать, что кузнец был пьян и заточил не с той стороны! 🙂
The blade shape reminds me of the Goblin shark
Cool sword. Very practical.
As a complete layman, it is without a doubt quite intimidating. Perhaps I romanticize swords too much for their elegance and I imagine, the code of honour, of those who wore them. When I look at this sword, the prevailing feeling is definitely one of fear. Certainly adoration as well, for it's apparent exceptional quality and frightening beauty. I try to imagine what it must have been like to have an Olympic athlete, who was trained in the arts of war his whole life, wield this against me with the specific purpose to overcome any, or most, advantages my armor would have provided me.
The intention of this sword is almost overwhelming and I imagine it gave the wielder a significant advantage in battle. Not only only due to it's rarity, but the simple fact that even one who has never held a sword can see that this was made to overcome any who stood against it.
The fact that it has survived for so long also gives you that impression that the custodians of this sword saw something in it as well.
In any case, thank you very much for sharing it with us! I've just found your channel and I very much look forward to seeing more.
Ps. Many years ago, I once saw a German executioner's sword with an engraving on both sides: ''Die herren steuern dem unheil ich exequiere ihr endts urteil. Wan ich das schwert thue aufheben wünsch ich dem sünder das ewig leben.'' I always liked that last part. Much love!
thx for your comment... do you have a link to the executioner sword?
My favourite blade shape